Several bulldozers were parked outside, along with a dozen workers.
Ye Chen was talking to a man who looked like a foreman.
Xia Yingluo hurried downstairs.
At the moment, Dean Zheng was staring at the bulldozers and the workers in a daze.
When he saw Xia Yingluo, Dean Zheng pulled her aside. "Yingluo, is your classmate a Second Generation Rich?"
Xia Yingluo gave a bitter smile. "No, his parents seem to be ordinary factory workers."
Dean Zheng clicked his tongue. "A mining plant? His family's loaded?"
Xia Yingluo shook her head, puzzled. "Dean, what are they going to do?"
Dean Zhang said, "Ye Chen brought them. He wants to build a Basketball court for our Orphanage."
Xia Yingluo: "..."
She rushed to Ye Chen's side.
"Ye Chen, you're wasting money again."
Ye Chen smiled. "How is it a waste? Building a playground for the Orphanage is your dream, isn't it?"
"But…"
"Your dream is my dream. Helping us fulfill it can't be called wasting money."
Xia Yingluo's pretty face flushed.
"Alright, I still have to bargain with the foreman."
Ye Chen turned to the foreman. "We want the best of everything; don't worry about the cost."
"Sure, no problem."
"The quality must be guaranteed. Work out the total."
The foreman nodded. "Give us a moment to measure and calculate."
Soon the foreman returned with a paper full of figures.
"Materials, labor, and the Basketball hoops—about 56,000 yuan."
Ye Chen frowned.
The foreman thought he found it too high. "Kid, I know this is charity. We're not inflating prices; the boss said we must never cheat an Orphanage. This is the fairest quote."
Ye Chen said, "Look, the New Year is coming; the brothers need to earn some money to take home. You can raise the wages."
The foreman was stunned.
Usually clients bargain the price down.
What did this mean? He thought the quote was too low?
"Well… we did add a small margin," the foreman said awkwardly.
"A tiny margin won't do. If you can earn more, why not? Increase it!"
The foreman was dumbstruck.
"He couldn't follow this plot; in all his years he'd never seen anyone ask to pay more."
"How about sixty thousand?" the foreman asked cautiously.
"You can add a bit more," Ye Chen said, exasperated.
Xia Yingluo, watching in shock, quickly tugged Ye Chen. "Stop it. Sixty thousand it is."
"Don't listen to him—leave it at sixty."
The foreman exhaled, wiping sweat from his brow.
Ye Chen wanted to keep increasing, but since Xia Yingluo wouldn't allow it, he had no choice.
After all, he could only get the ten-times rebate if Xia Yingluo approved.
Xia Yingluo huffed. "Ye Chen, you've earned a bit lately, but you can't squander it like this."
Ye Chen teased, "What, you're not even married and already want to be my little housekeeper?"
"Keep joking." Xia Yingluo blushed and punched him… Ye Chen sighed.
Sigh, looks like there's no way to raise the court price further.
Suddenly Ye Chen's eyes lit up.
"Dean Zheng, this dormitory building is pretty old, isn't it?"
Dean Zheng eyed him nervously. "What are you thinking?"
"I think we could renovate it from top to bottom."
Dean Zheng: "..."
Ye Chen pondered, then said, "Forget it."
Dean Zheng breathed a sigh of relief.
Ye Chen continued, "Let's just tear it down and rebuild."
Dean Zheng waved his hands frantically at the love-filled Ye Chen. "That's enough. You've already done so much for the Orphanage—really, no need."
"But…"
Dean Zheng said, "Actually, I think a bit of hardship here is good for the kids. They'll enter society someday; if they don't endure some bitterness now, life will be tougher later."
Ye Chen was taken aback.
Dean Zheng's words made a lot of sense.
Besides, the ten-times rebate only worked if Xia Yingluo approved.
Without her consent, any investment wouldn't yield that rebate.
So Ye Chen gave up the idea.
Just then Ye Chen's phone rang.
It was Mother Ye calling.
"Xiao Chen, ask Yingluo to come over for dinner tonight."
Ye Chen glanced at Xia Yingluo beside him.
"Mom wants to know if you're free—she's treating you tonight."
Xia Yingluo's cheeks reddened. "I'm free."
The moment she answered, Xia Yingluo sensed something off.
"Jerk, taking advantage of me again."
Ye Chen laughed. "'Mom' is right—my mom keeps saying she wants to adopt you as her goddaughter."
Ye Chen never held high hopes for his parents' invitations.
Sure enough, the venue was a tiny street-side diner.
Mother Ye greeted Xia Yingluo warmly.
"Yingluo, thanks to your tutoring Ye Chen ranked first. Your uncle and I have to thank you properly."
Xia Yingluo blushed. "Auntie, that's not how it was."
"Look how thin your face is. Today I'll order you some meat dishes to fatten you up."
With that, Mother Ye shot Ye Chen a glare.
"She tutors you every day, so hardworking, yet you never take your girlfriend out for some meat."
Ye Chen was speechless.
As if one meaty meal could fatten anyone up.
The place was small but tidy.
In the kitchen a chef was stir-frying, sweat pouring off him.
Only two or three tables were occupied, all by people his parents' age.
"You're here? I saved your usual spot."
"Thanks, boss."
The three of them entered a private booth.
Mother Ye, obviously a regular, picked up the menu and ordered several dishes straightaway.
After the boss left, Ye Chen asked, "You and Dad are regulars here; you seem to know the place well."
Mother Ye nodded. "Yep, this old place has been here over ten years. Your dad and I came here when we were dating."
Ye Chen blinked. "Then how come I've never been?"
Mother Ye rolled her eyes. "Why bring you? A date for us two old folks—why drag a light-bulb?"
"So what did I eat while you two dined here?"
Mother Ye glanced at him. "Don't you love instant noodles?"
Ye Chen felt life was meaningless.
Imagining himself slurping instant noodles while his parents secretly dined here, he suddenly felt so pathetic… The dishes arrived quickly.
Ye Chen tasted them; though the shop was small, the food was delicious.
Definitely better than the instant noodles he usually ate.
"Yingluo, try this braised pork—rich but not greasy, really fragrant." Mother Ye placed a piece into Xia Yingluo's mouth.
After tasting, Xia Yingluo nodded vigorously. "It's delicious."
Just as Ye Chen reached to take a piece, Mother Ye moved the plate away.
"Yingluo loves it. Look at your double chin—skip the meat, have some veggies."
As Ye Chen sulked, a middle-aged woman's sarcastic voice drifted over.
"Yo, if it isn't Xiuying—long time no see."